Anywhere in the country, text:

Street Talk Newsletter

Ready to Talk About the Green Elephant?

by April Cayce, Rebound 911

Green elephant? Green represents the Mental Health Awareness ribbon, and it’s also the color of the elephant standing in the room of many law enforcement agencies, wearing a banner with the current statistic of police suicides in the United States.

According to Blue H.E.L.P. (Honor, Educate, Lead, Prevent), a nonprofit organization in Massachusetts that tracks police officer suicide rates, we have had 105 suicides in the United States as of this July 7. That is staggering, considering we are only seven months into the year. According to the organization, at least 159 officers took their own lives in 2018. That’s the same number of suicide fatalities it tracked in 2017, and 19 more than in 2016.

By contrast, the estimated number of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2019 is resting at 65. In 2018, the number was 144, while in 2017 it was 129, and 159 in 2016, according to an annual report released by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Police culture places enormous value on strength and resilience, especially in high-stakes situations, and the stigma of mental health issues means officers who seek treatment fear they’d be seen as a liability by their peers, department, family and community. It is that fear and stigmatization that has driven many to suffer in silence.

It is clear this is a problem that cries out for answers and remedies, but too many departments are reluctant to admit it exists, much less implement programs to address it or seek the assistance of outside agencies who were created to address this very topic and provide on-going services to our men and woman in blue and their families.

Rebound 911, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in St. Louis, is one of those organizations. We are a group of active, displaced and retired first responders whose mission is to reduce toxic stress syndrome as an occupational hazard for first responders. We meet this mission by providing advocacy, chaplain services, education, peer/family support, referral services and training.

We provide confidential services in a safe space and place where our first responders feel secure in seeking assisting without fear or stigmatization.

After working in and around law enforcement for 23 years in a variety of capacities, my passion for first responders, their well-being, and the impact they have on the community inspired a call to action.

That call to action occurred after the loss of two of my friends who were active officers who died by suicide eight months apart in 2015 and 2016. After observing countless First Responder families negatively impacted or destroyed by the trauma and toxic stress of this job, and knowing many suffered in silence, I decided to address it by providing resources to make a positive impact in our daily lives. Rebound 911 was created to promote resilience and drive one from hardship to happiness. We strongly believe, “It’s Ok To Not Be Ok, But It’s Not Ok To Stay There!”

With the increase in critical incidents, violence against law enforcement, and the recent death of Officer Michael Langsdorf, our calls for service are increasing, which we are thankful for because it means our message of “It’s ok to ask for help” and “Help Is Available” are being heard.

To increase Mental Health Awareness, we have launched a “Check Your Mate Campaign” that runs through August 31, 2019. We welcome all agencies to participate. To learn more, visit Facebook.com/events/2225594310843269.

We are also offering Surviving Secondary Trauma for First Responders, a 4-hour POST-Certified course on August 8, 2019, in conjunction with Public Safety Ministries. To learn more, visit Facebook.com/events/681553152305175.